The Touchy Tamarins, Wrasses of the Genus
Anampses

Bob Fenner

Anampses
lineatus, Red Sea

Genus Anampses:

The thirteen species of Anampses are commonly labeled as
Tamarin Wrasses in reference to all but ones colorful appearance.
Unfortunately the members of this genus rate an overall (3) or the
lowest score in survivability. For a few reasons, mostly rough handling
and shipping stress Anampses wrasses come in beat from collection and
never recover. If you're determined to try to keep one, take extra
care to select a specimen that is in exemplary condition, with no
bloody markings or raw marks around the mouth, that is up and swimming.
And follow through with making sure it's getting enough food
(mainly interstitial fauna... i.e. benthic and between sand grain
invertebrates). to sustain itself, and has an adequately deep and fine
substrate to sleep within (as in under the surface) at night. Due to
their frailty and inherent food-picking behavior I encourage you to
look at hardier and less-burrowing species of wrasses, though I have
seen Anampses kept successfully in full-blown reef systems (mainly for
the control of pesky pyramidellid snails that predate hobbyist's
Tridacnid clams). Note: these wrasses are infamous
"jumpers".

Anampses caeruleopunctatus Ruppell 1829, the
Blue-Spotted Wrasse, is often sold under the notorious
"miscellaneous" moniker. Most likely you will find
females offered and at way too small a starting size of a few
inches. Even the best initial size ones of 4-5 inches rarely live
for more than a few weeks. Grows to almost a foot and a half
overall length. Female and male shown in the wild.

Anampses chrysocephalus Randall 1958, whose
females are typically sold as Red Tail and males as Psychedelic
or Psych-Head Wrasses. Gorgeous, but a radical swimmer and jumper
that frequently "just dies" overnight. Only found in
the Hawaiian Island chain. Juvenile off of Puako, Big Island
Female in captivity and male underwater.

Anampses cuvier Quoy & Gaimard 1824, the
Flag or Pearl Wrasse named in honor of Georges Cuvier is amongst
the heartiest species of the genus, but still rates a dismal for
survivability. This fish readily consumes fresh or prepared meaty
foods, but must also regularly have natural greens. Male and
female in Hawai'i shown.

Anampses geographicus Valenciennes 1840, the
Geographic Wrasse. Indo-West Pacific. A giant of the genus at more
than a foot in maximum length. Variable in color, but generally not
a great beauty, and no hardier than the rest of the Anampses. A
rare import into the ornamental trade.

Two very similar Anampses, the White-Spotted Wrasse
(Anampses melanurus Bleeker 1857) and Yellowtail Wrasse
(Anampses meleagrides Valenciennes 1840) are often mixed-up in
identification in the trade (both sold as Yellowtail Wrasses). Both
have yellow tails, but the White Spotted lacks the bold black margin of
the Yellowtail. Both these and the less frequently encountered but also
similar White-Dashed Wrasse (Anampses lineatus Randall 1972)
ship and do poorly (3's) in captivity.

Anampses melanurus,
aquarium

Anampses meleagrides, Red
Sea

Anampses lineatus,
aquarium

Anampses lineatus Randall 1972, the Lined
Wrasse. Indo-West Pacific; Red Sea to Indonesia. To a little under
five inches in length.

Bigger PIX:
The images in this table are linked
to large (desktop size) copies. Click on "framed" images
to go to the larger size.

Bigger PIX: The images in this table are linked
to large (desktop size) copies. Click on "framed" images
to go to the larger size.

Anampses melanurus Bleeker 1837, the
White-spotted Wrasse. West-Central Pacific; Indonesia to Marquesas
throughout Micronesia to S. Japan. To 12 cm. Similar to A.
meleagrides, but never has a completely yellow caudal. Nuka Hiva,
Marquesas, Polynesia pic.

Anampses neoguinaicus Bleeker 1878, the New
Guinea Wrasse (3) is a real beauty but fares no better than the
rest of the genus. Shipping stress and traumas like mouth damage
claim almost all of them. Pictured: a juvenile initial phase
aquarium specimen and one of about the same development and a
male in Australian waters. Western Pacific. To eight inches in
length.

Bigger PIX: The images in this table are linked to large
(desktop size) copies. Click on "framed" images to go to
the larger size.

Tamarins are tropical to sub-tropical in the Indo-Mid
Pacific; Red Sea to the Tuamotus, Hawai'i, in shallow
rocky/coral reefs.

Size:

Most Anampses Wrasses max. out at about three-four
inches. The large species attain half a foot in total length.

Selection: General to Specific

These fishes are very hard to access in terms of
likelihood of surviving, most are doomed on-arrival. You should look a
prospective purchase over carefully, and leave on site for at least the
first few days (better a couple of weeks) after your dealer receives
them, to assure they are going to make it past this phase. With
Anampses, the most important deciding criteria is appearance of
damage, then feeding. Re behavior; they should be out and
about, looking over, sampling their environment, and aware of your
presence.

Look at the mouth
especially for signs of wearing, tearing (any marking, sign of
bloodiness should disqualify the purchase). Any reddening on the body,
especially at the origins of the unpaired fins should disqualify your
purchase. After they settle in, offer some sort of meaty food, fresh or
defrosted. A healthy specimen should react/eat.

Environmental: Conditions

Anampses as a whole require reef-tank conditions. Live
rock systems that are under-crowded and well-established.

Habitat

A broken rocky reef area where your specimen can hide
out and skulk, with some finer substrate with life in it to root around
in is called for.

Tamarins should not be kept with other larger fishes;
they are definitely only for reef set-ups. Large, coral containing
systems with vigorous water movement are ideal.

Territoriality

Unless the system is huge (hundreds of gallons), I'd
keep them one to a tank; they are almost always solitary, territorial
as adults in the wild and captivity.

Introduction/Acclimation

These fishes are almost always beat and prone to
infectious and parasitic disease when imported; I would
quarantine/harden new introductions for a good two-three weeks before
placing them in a main/display tank.

Predator/Prey Relations

Anampses wrasses are generally "live and let
live" with other fishes, but may consume snails and crabs
(including the False Crabs called Hermits).

Feeding/Foods/Nutrition: Types, Frequency, Amount,
Wastes

Finicky feeders of all but acknowledged, fresh, frozen,
prepared or natural meaty foods. Some sort of meaty food should be
offered twice daily as these are active fishes. Ideally, their system
will involve a living sump/refugium that produces copious amounts of
crustacean and worm life for their consumption.

Disease: Infectious, Parasitic, Nutritional, Genetic,
Social

As reef fishes go Anampses wrasses are disease
prone, typically the first to show signs of bacterial, protozoal
or parasitic problems. Look to them to show evidence of poor water
quality.

Summary:

Tamarin wrasses are indeed beautiful, interesting
behaviorally, dynamic in their movement and other behavior, but
tragically poor shippers and survivors in captive systems... They must
be kept individually by collectors, covered to prevent jumping, shipped
in large bags that lack corners, with lots of water and oxygen... and
fine sand to make them feel at ease and prevent "rubbing"
damage... and then carefully maintained in reef conditions to survive
and hopefully thrive.